Gainesville’s very own Dance Alive National Ballet company concludes its 51st year on Friday night at UF’s Phillips Center with the classic work by Gerard Ebitz and three other memorable pieces.
Dance Alive National Ballet draws its 2016-17 season to a close this weekend like a good fireworks show — with a dazzling finale that is sure to leave the audience oohing and aahing.
That’s because Friday’s 7:30 p.m. performance at UF’s Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is actually four pieces from four talented choreographers. (For tickets, call Dance Alive at 352.371.2986 or the Phillips Center box office at 352.392.2787.)
The show begins with Judy Skinner’s Latin American Symphonette and will be followed by Tom Pazik’s Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux and George Balanchine’s Apollo. The evening concludes with Gerard Ebitz’ The Firebird, based on a Russian folktale with music by Igor Stravinsky.
“It is a beautiful production — colorful, expressive, magical — and a wonderful way to culminate this season,” said Kim Tuttle, Dance Alive’s executive/artistic director and choreographer-in-residence.
The four pieces are designed to spotlight the individual skills of Dance Alive National Ballet’s 16 principal dancers, who hail from Brazil, Cuba, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.S.
Latin American Symphonette opens the program with a bang as DANB principals Andre Valladon (Brazil) and Gretel Batista (Cuba) perform a brilliant pas de deux while six other DANB principals take over the stage. Skinner, Dance Alive choreographer-in-residence, created the work to showcase the Latin dancers’ remarkable talents.
“This is a new work for all but one of the dancers,” she said. “It is a fantastic vehicle for Andy and Gretel, and they are having a ball with it. Amazing partnering — as only Andy can do — and with Gretel’s spectacular technique and their apparent effortless physicality … their dancing just brings a smile to your face.”
Pazik’s Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux is an exquisite work that principal dancers Carla Amancio (Brazil) and Fhilipe Teixeira (Brazil) have been performing on tour to wildly appreciative audiences. The balcony pas de deux from the ballet Romeo and Juliet reveals the two lovers’ depth of feelings for each other — a poignant prelude to a tragic end.
“Carla and Fhilipe have performed for many years together,” Tuttle said. “They have a great partnership which shows in their interpretation of the balcony scene pas de deux. Artistic, expressive dancers at their best.”
George Balanchine is recognized as one of the world’s greatest choreographers. Many consider Apollo to be his masterwork. For the DANB performance, presented by arrangement with the George Balanchine Trust, Apollo is danced by Sergii Sidorskyi (Ukraine) with the three muses danced by DANB principals Jessie Dominguez (Cuba), Yulia Pivotskaya (Russia) and Julia Ponomareva (Russia).
“It is my favorite Balanchine ballet and, I believe, a ballet that shows art at its highest form,” Tuttle said. “I would not want to do it without the right cast, and this year we have the right cast. It requires a superb Apollo with equally brilliant muses. This is it!”
Meanwhile, in Firebird, Ebitz pulls out all the stops with a prince danced by Alexsey Kuznetsov (Ukraine), princesses danced by DANB principals Ashley Brooke Lunn (Vero Beach), Buse Babadag (Turkey), Beatriz Pereira Povoas (Brazil), Batista and Barbara Varady (Brazil), monsters led by Mia Caceres-Nielsen (U.S) and Grace Thompson, spiders, an evil magician portrayed by DANB principal Leo Clarke (U.S) and a mythical Firebird danced with effortless physicality by DANB principal Roberto Vega (Cuba).
“[Ebitz] has choreographed three ballets for us previously,” Tuttle said. “We love having him create on the company. He is inventive, has a sense of wonder and works beautifully with the dancers.”
Firebird is a “story” ballet with sets, elaborate costumes and a huge cast. It makes for a perfect evening of dance for those who enjoy a good story, appreciate the dazzling technical skill of beautifully trained dancers.
One day after Dance Alive National Ballet’s season-ending performance, it will host its biggest fundraising event of the year. The 2017 Champagne Gala will once again take place in the Touchdown Terrace above the north end zone at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The Dancing with the Stars “celebrity” participants include Kim Bosshardt, Darin Cook, Gilberto de Paz, Duncan Kabinu, Anne Koch, Chris Morris, David Stanton, Margaret Tolbert, Shelley Waters and Larry Wurn. Each will be paired with a Dance Alive National Ballet principal dancer.
Ilene Silverman, defending champion of Dancing with the Stars, will host this year’s event, which will be emceed by WCJB-TV20 anchorman David Snyder. The black-tie gala will also include an art sale, cuisine by Chef Brothers and Thornebrook Chocolates as well as music by Gosia and Ali.
Tickets are $150 each or $1,500 for a table for 10. For information, call 352.371.2986 or send an email to [email protected].
Tuttle and Skinner are already looking ahead to Dance Alive’s 2017-18 season. The first program in the fall is called Aspire! It will be in collaboration with the UF Humanities Department and the Phillips Center based on the UF class course and Aristotelian ethic called “What is the Good Life?”
Dance Alive will again present The Nutcracker during the holiday season and L’amour before Valentine’s Day in February. Next season will conclude with an as-yet-untitled program with the UF Symphony Orchestra. However, the final piece is The Ring, an adventure for orchestra and ballet based on the Wagner operatic works.
Dance Alive National Ballet’s 52nd season might also include a tour to China, according to Tuttle.
“I love this company and the dancers in it,” she said. “I think they contribute so much to the community and the world of dance. I can’t express enough my joy that they are all here.”
For further info, visit the Dance Alive website.
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